In many developing nations, irrigation of crops is performed as cheaply as possible, due to lack of funds and technical know-how. Typically, water for irrigation of a field is brought to the field in a raised irrigation channel, which is usually open and in the shape of a long trough. A sluice gate is opened adjacent to the field, flooding it and saturating the soil thereof. Alternatively, a tube may be used to siphon water onto the field. Besides the lack of control of the amount of water to be supplied to the field, this method of irrigation may lead to introduction of impurities in the water to the field, adversely affecting soil and crop quality, compacting of the soil, oversupply of water to the field, and introduction of disease to the soil.
Often, besides the lack of funds and technical know-how necessary to obtain and operate a conventional sophisticated higher pressure micro-irrigation system, external power sources are not typically available in the fields which would be necessary to run such a system, even if it were available.